Spring suspension for railway cars



June H'. w. FROST SPRING SUSPENSION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 14. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 192 June 21 7 H. w. FROST.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR RAILWAY CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1926' Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. 13081, 01' DETROIT, KIOHIG A N.

BPRIN G SUSPENSION FOR RAILWAY CABS.

Appllniatlau. filed June 14, 1928. Serial-No. 116,969.

The invention relates to spring suspensions for railway cars and has for its object the obtaining of a construction which will absorb a portion of the energy of shocks and will check oscillations which unrestrained might become dangerous. It is a further object to obtain such results with a sim Is and max ensive construction as hereina ter set fort .f

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a vertical central section through my improved spring suspension as designed for application to the bolster of a railway freight car.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

- Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fi re 2;

' standard railway ractice it is usual to support the truck bo sters, on a nest of springs secured between top and bottom follower plates. As a specific example there is signed to sustain capacit teen thousand pounds.

present invention to absorb sprin a construction havin three airs of helical springs uniformlyd stribute over the area of the plates. If each of these springs is dea static load of nineteen thousand pounds, this would make the total of the nest one hundred and four- However under shocks a very much higher inertial pressure will be develo d than that of the static load. It has a been found that where the cars are travelling over uneven tracks there is a great tendenc to develop cumulative oscillations which quently become dangerone and may result in the derailing of the truck.

As has been stated, it is an object of the a portion of the energy of shocks so as to avoid violent recoil and to thereby check cumulative oscillations. At the same time maintain a sufiiciently lively action in the to take care of ordinary oscillations. lish by associating with the live springs a ictionaily resisting shock absorbing spring and by. so proportioning the parts as to rmit the desirable freedom for oscillation ut to prevent oscillations ofabnormal amplitude. v

The frictional resistance spring is preferably of the type illustrated in patent to George L. Harvey No. 758,066 issued April 26, 1904, This consists of a pair of interlaced helical spr'in having non-parallel convolutions whic are pro essively brought into frictional contact as t e spring This 1 accom of nertial loads a suflicient it is desired to is deflected. The efiect is to introduce a large factorof resistance to a sudden shock or compression, the greater part of the energy being absorbed and dissi 'ated and only a small fraction being avails le for returning the spring to normal condition. A spring of this character is not. desi ned for the sus ension of a static load an if used as a su 'stitute for live sprin s, would not.

properly function. This is or the reason that with the spring properly for sustaining the static load, there would be too great resistance to deflection or where properly proportioned for inertial loads there would not be sufiicient power of re- COll to restore the spring to normal position. To avoid the objectionsiabove described'I combine with such a shock absorbing spring properly designed for absorbing the energy number of live spr ngs to take care of the static. load and to ma ntain the desired freedom of action. Tl'llS may be accom lished by the omission of a central pair of helical springs of stand ard construction and substitutin single centrally arran ed shocE absorbing spring. As shownin etail A and B are res ctivel the top' and bottom follower p ates; G, D, D pairs of live helical therefor a g infis and Ethe centrally arranged shock a y in sor s ring. Thelatter consists of an outer be me member G havin wed e-shaped engaging faces non-parallel 'elically to produce a progressively increasing area for frictional con? tact durmg compression. Each of the five springs has referably arranged within the same a sma er helical spring H and bolts or other connecting links I -'w ich extend between the plates A and B to limit the separation thereof.

In the specific construction of composite spring desl ed to replace the specific construction a ove described the two helical springs which have been removed will decrease the sustaining power of the nest by twice nineteen thousand or -thirty-ei ht thousand pounds reducing the total hundred and fourteen thousand to seventy six thousaifl pounds. The shock absorbing spring is desi ed to offer a resistance to compression 0 one hundred and fifty thousand pounds but has power for recoil of only eighteen thousand unds. The latter added to the springs woul bring, the total sustaining proportioned member F and the inner helical om 0X16 tioned to suit the needs.

With the construction described in operation, the free helical springs in conjunction with the return power-of t e shock absorbing spring will take care of all the ordi; nary oscillations produced by slight irregularities in the track. On the other hand greater irregularities such as produced by ad rail joints or switch points will not cause excessive oscillations'as a large part -of the ener of such shocks is. frictionally absorbed an does not enter into the recoil.

As appears from the above description the term static load as herein used, means the sprung weight of'the car plus the weight ofits contents when fully loaded. On the other hand by 'inertial load is meant the additional force which is exerted by this mass when in momentum.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A spring suspension for railway cars, comprising a nest of freely movable or live springs and ance springs acting inunison.

. 2. A sprmgsuspension for railway oars,

comprising top and bottom follower plates, a pluralit of freely movable helical springs interpose between said plates an distributed about the area thereof and one or son, said springs being 1n one or more frictional resistmore frictional resistance springs,,; of said springs acting in unison.

3. A spring sus ension for railway cars, comprising a freer; movable helical spring and a shock absor ing s ring having frictionally interengaging he ices acting in unison with said freely movable'spring.

4. A spring suspension for railway cars, comprising top and a plurality of freely movable helical s rings between said: plates at o posite en s and sides thereof and a central y arran ed shock absorbing spring having frictionally'interengaging helices, all of said springs acting in unison.

5. A spring suspension for railway cars having a predetermined maximum static load comprisingv a freely movable s rin capable of sustaining said static load anc l bottom follower plates,

a frictional resistance s ring for absorbing inertial loads, the sai springs actlng in LlIllSOl'l.

6. A spring suspension for railway cars having a redetermined maximum static load comprising a frictional res stance spring acting in umroportion to each other to freely sustain said static load and to absorb a portion of the energy of inertial loads. 1

7. A spring suspension for railway cars having a. predetermined maximum static load comprising a freely movable-spring and a frictional resistance spring acting inimison, said springs being pro rtioned to sustain said static load and eely return the same to normal position and to absorb the igrester portion of the energy of inertial oa s.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY wl FROST.

a freely movable spring and a of the energy power of the nest to ninety-four thousand pounds in place of the one hundred and fourteen thousand pounds of the old construction. However, for resisting inertial force, if the one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of the shock absorbingspring is added to the seventy six thousand pounds it will make a total of two hundred and twenty six thousand pounds which is greatly in excess of the resistance in the old construction. It will be understood that these figures are only exemplary and that my improved construction can be variously proportioned to suit the needs.

\Vith the construction described in operation, the free helical sprin s in conjunction with the return powerof t e shock absorbing spring 'will take care of all the ordi; nary oscillations produced by slight irregularities in the track. On the other hand greater irregularities such as produced by bad rail joints or switch points will not cause excessive oscillations as a large part of such shocks is frictionally absorbed an does not enter into the recoil.

As appears from the above description the term static load as herein used, means the sprung weight of the car plus the weight of its contents when fully loaded. On the other hand by inertial load is meant the additional force which is exerted by this mass when in momentum.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A spring suspension for railway cars, comprising a nest of freely movable or live springs ance springs acting in unison.

.2. A spring suspension for railway cars, comprising top and bottom follower plates, a plurality of freely movable helical s rings interpose between said plates an distributed about the area thereof and one or and one or more frictional resistmore frictional resistance springs, all a of said springs acting in unison.

3. A spring sus ension for railway cars, comprising a free movable helical spring and a shock absor ing 3 ring having frictionally interengaging he ices acting in unison with said freely movable'spring.

4. A spring suspension for railway cars, comprising top and a plurality of freely movable helical s rings between said'plates at o posite en s and sides thereof and a central y arranged shock absorbing spring having frictiona ly'interengaging helices, all of said springs acting in unison.

5. A spring suspension for railway cars having a predetermined maximum static load comprising a freely movable s rin capable of sustaining sald static load and a frictional resistance s inertial loads, the sai unison.

6. A spring suspension for railway cars having a redetermined maximum static load comprising a freely movable spring and a frictional resistance spring acting in unison, said springs being in proportion to each other to freely sustain said static load and to absorb a portion of the energy of inertial loads.

7. A spring suspension for railway cars having a predetermined maximum static load comprising a freely movablespring and a frictional resistance spring acting in unison, said springs being proportioned to sustain said static load and freely return the same to normal position and to absorb the greater portion of the energy of inertial loads.

In testimony ring for absorbing springs acting in whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY w. FROST.

v DISCLAIMER 1,633,011.Harry W. Frost, Detroit, Mich. SPRING SUSPENSION FOR RAILWAY Cans.

Patent dated June 21, 1927.

Disclaimer filed October 6, 1937,

by the assignee, The Frost Railway Supply Co.

Hereb enters this disclaimer to claims I, 2, and 5 of said patent.

[ al Gazette November 2, 1987.]

bottom follower plates,

DISCLAIMER 1,633,011.Harry W. Frost, Detroit, Mich. SPRING SUSPENSION FOR RAILWAY CARS. Patent dated June 21, 1927. Disclaimer filed October 6, 1937, by the assignee, The Frost Railway Supply Co.

Herelg enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 2, and 5 of said patent.

[ flicial Gazette ZVovember 2, 1937.] 

